There are 10 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2014 PASSAT WITH CONTINETAL CONTIPRO TIRES. MY REAR TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW ON HIGHWAY. WITH 60K MILES. I TRACKED MY PATH DID NOT FIND ANY DEBRIS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSE THE BLOW OUT. IVE SEEN MANY CONPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TIRE FOR SAME THING. THEY SHOULD BE CHECKED WE DONT WANT FIRESTONE PART 2
CAR DEALER CLAIMED THEY HAD FIXED ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS TO CAR THAT I HAD SAID WERE NEEDED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS WENT OFF AS SOON AS CAR GOT MOVING. CONTACTED AUTO DEALER WHO SAID THEY WOULD TAKE IT BACK IN AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF. THEN REFUSED TO WORK ON CAR, TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MECHANIC NEAR ME AND SEND THEM THE INFORMATION TO HAVE IT COVERED. THEN REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO CAR. DUE TO THEIR INCORPORATION AND REFUSALS NEARLY RESULTED IN ACCIDENT WHEN CAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH TOWN. CAR WAS GOING AT LOW ENOUGH SPEED TO STOP BEFORE MORE DAMAGES COULD TAKE PLACE. NOW DEALER REFUSING TO EVEN TALK TO ME.
PRIMEWELL VALERA TOURING II 215/55R 17 TIRES. THE TIRES AFTER 5000 MILES HAVE DEVELOPED A ROARING SOUND AND THE SIDEWALLS ARE CRACKED. THE ROARING HAS BECOME SO LOUD I HAD THE WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE NOISE IS IN FACT COMING FROM THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE BOUGHT BY THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM. IN FACT, IT WAS PART OF THE DEAL THAT THE CAR HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON. BECAUSE OF THIS FACT, THE TIRES ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER, THEY HAVE PRIMEWELL TIRES MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THEM. THE DEALER WAS NICE ENOUGH AND TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE TIRES, BUT MY SPECIFIC SIZE WAS NOT LISTED UNDER THE RECALL. THE NEXT SIZE UP AND DOWN WERE LISTED, BUT NOT OUR SPECIFIC SIZE. HE DID OFFER A DISCOUNT ON A NEW SET OF TIRES THOUGH. HE HONESTLY TRIED TO HELP US OUT. BEFORE I SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $500 PLUS DOLLARS I CALLED FIRESTONE CORPORATE. AFTER STATING MY CASE, HE SAID THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HE COULD DO. I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LET HIS WIFE DRIVE A CAR WITH CRACKED SIDEWALL TIRES, HE COMMENTED IF IT WAS HIS CAR, HE WOULD GET THEM REPLACED, BUT HE OFFERED ABSOLUTELY NO HELP TO DO SO AND WAS UNAPOLOGETIC TO SAY THE LEAST. I EXPECT MORE FROM FIRESTONE / BRIDGESTONE. YOU WOULD THINK AFTER ALL THE BAD PRESS FROM THE FORD EXPLORER TIRE INCIDENT THEY WOULD BACK THERE PRODUCTS UP BETTER, OR AT LEAST OFFER A PRODUCT THAT LASTS LONGER THAN 5000 MILES. PLEASE BE AWARE BEFORE BUYING THERE PRODUCTS, I KNOW I NEVER WILL AGAIN!
I'VE HAD MY 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6 SEL PREMIUM SINCE 6/2017, AND I HAVE BOUGHT 2 SETS OF VW WHEEL CENTER CAPS, BECAUSE THEY KEEP FAILING OFF. IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WITH VOLKSWAGEN. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE, AND VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB AT ENGINEERING PARTS THAT DON'T FALL OFF OF THE CAR. THESE WHEEL CAPS ARE ROUGHLY $26 AT VOLKSWAGEN BEFORE TAX.
CONTINENTAL TIRE TYPE 235/45/R18. I HAD A SIDE WALL BLOWOUT ON I-95 WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 65MPH. THE TIRES CAME ON A 2013 VW PASSAT TDI SEL. THE DEALER IN HYANNIS, MA WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SAID THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT I DID. THE TIRES HAD 16,500 MILES IN THEM WITH A TREAD WEAR OF 2/32 (ALMOST BRAND NEW). THE DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES THAT COME ON THEIR VEHICLES. THIS WEBSITE HAS NUMEROUS POSTS HAVING TO DO WITH CONTINENTAL TIRE SIDE WALL BLOWOUTS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ISSUE.
CONTINENTAL TIRE TYPE 235/45/R18. I HAD A SIDE WALL BLOWOUT ON I-95 WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 65MPH. THE TIRES CAME ON A 2013 VW PASSAT TDI SEL. THE DEALER IN HYANNIS, MA WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SAID THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT I DID. THE TIRES HAD 16,500 MILES IN THEM WITH A TREAD WEAR OF 2/32 (ALMOST BRAND NEW). THE DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES THAT COME ON THEIR VEHICLES. THIS WEBSITE HAS NUMEROUS POSTS HAVING TO DO WITH CONTINENTAL TIRE SIDE WALL BLOWOUTS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ISSUE.
ROUGHLY 2 WEEKS AGO, OUR PASSAT STARTING HAVING INCREASED NOISE AT HIGHER SPEEDS, TYPICALLY HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. IT SEEMS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE A BAD WHEEL BEARING, PARTICULARLY WITH A SEDAN, GO BAD AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE.
ON SEPT. 27, 2014 DURING A PRE-LONG TRIP SAFETY CHECK, AUTO MECHANIC NOTICED UNUSUAL BULGE ON REAR LEFT TIRE. I CALLED MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER.AND WAS DIRECTED TO MY NEAREST AUTHORIZED TIRE DEALER.WHO FOUND POSSIBLE DEFECT AND ORDERED A REPLACEMENT TIRE UNDER WARRANTY. TIRE DOT A35M 3WL 1113. CONTINENTAL PROCONTACT 215/60R16 CLAIM # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK OPTIMO H426 TIRES, SIZE 215/55R17 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,727.
OUR NEW 2013 TDI PASSAT, FROM DAY ONE HAS HAD THE ISSUE OF INTERMITTENTLY DRAGGING, PULLING CRUNCHING NOISE COASTING THROUGH A CORNER IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. IT VARIES FROM A SOFT TUG AND CRUNCH NOISE, TO SO HARD IT PULLS YOU INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! IT SEEMS TO BE WHILE MAINTAINING SPEED OR COASTING, NEVER WHILE BRAKING. AFTER ABOUT 3-4TH TIME INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING CHECKING OUT FINE, WE FINALLY GOT THEM TO COME UP AND RIDE WITH ME ON OUR ROAD. (WE DO LIVE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT IS A POSTED 55MPH WITH SOME 40MPH CURVES) THE CAR DID IT AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID, "HMMM." HE SAID ITS THEIR TOP OF THE LINE CAR AND THINKS ITS THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. I ASKED IF IT WAS ONLY IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL? HE SAID "NO." I ASKED HOW COME IT DRAGS AND PULLS THE FRONT LEFT NO MATTER IF IT'S A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, AND IS IT SUPPOSED TO DO IT SO HARD SOME TIMES THAT IT PULLS YOU INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC? HE SAID "NO."HE SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE A SYSTEMS ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE KNOWN OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE TAKEN THEIR TDI'S IN FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE SO IT'S NOT JUST A SENSOR IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR. WE CALLED 3 DAYS LATER TO SEE IF THEY HAD A RESOLVE AND THEY SAID THE CAR IS "FINE AND FUNCTIONING NORMAL, THAT I TOOK THE CORNER 8 MPH TOO FAST AND THE CAR DID IT'S JOB"!! I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AS WE HAVE STATED NUMEROUS TIMES AND GIVEN THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS AND YET TO NO AVAIL. THIS CAR DOES THIS EVERYDAY. IT'S NOT NORMAL TO SAY TO YOUR SPOUSE THAT IF I'M INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON OUR ROAD, ESPECIALLY A HEAD-ON, IT WAS THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL THAT DID IT. THESE CARS HAVE A SAFETY DEFECT IN THIS SYSTEM AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026